Danielle Del Plato Every year on Veteran’s Day our nation honors those who have sacrificed and served our country. Behind these veterans there are family caregivers who reflect on a very different kind of service and often feel forgotten. Life has not moved forward or gotten easier for many of our nation’s military caregivers, who are silently earning their version of a combat badge, setting aside their own goals and even their identities, long after their loved ones have made it home.
Nancy Treaster, 63, a certified caregiving consultant from Johns Creek, Georgia, is a co-founder of “The Caregiver’s Journey” a podcast and website offering practical advice to caregivers, especially around difficult subjects.
“There is often a sense of pride from the veteran’s perspective around their service,” Treaster says. “But we need to do a much better job helping the caregiving spouse manage the everyday challenges, especially when it comes to resources and support.” Aging and the physical toll on veteran caregivers
As service members retire from active duty and transition to civilian life, they continue to rely on the people who love them and, in cases of injury, care for them. A share of our veterans suffer from injuries and conditions that will shadow them — and their families —for the rest of their lives.
A Rand study found that while few spouses are prepared to manage the physical and mental injures of war, an estimated 80 percent of veterans will have some need for long-term services and supports in their lifetime. AARP reports that there are 6.5 million miltary and veteran caregivers in the U.S. Roxana Delgado, 47, an epidemiologist and professor at UT Health, San Antonio School of Nursing looks at the long-term effects on veteran caregivers.
“They are great about accessing care for their loved ones, but we need more care and attention on screenings and follow-up for the caregivers themselves,” she says.
Delgado has seen firsthand how the aging process for caregivers looks different than other populations, as the physical and mental health demands of caregiving on the body can accelerate or exacerbate certain health conditions.
“For example, we […]
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